The Great God-Invasion

We are inclined to forget that Jesus was born in dangerous times. The Holy Family lived under foreign domination. There was no NHS, and there nearly wasn't even a roof over his head. Furthermore, within weeks of his birth, were it not for an angel's message, he could have been murdered along with other innocents. So we must not believe for one moment that we live now in 'the worst of times.' Yet it seems to me, we have gone soft as followers of Jesus and, as someone wrote recently, consumer culture has deeply infected the church. Churchgoers so easily become consumers of religion, and expect to get what they pay for. If the services are not to their liking, or they do no feel personally blessed, they stay away and turn up for the services they do like. They may even move churches.

This isn't to say that we shouldn't expect a blessing when we gather with our Christian brothers and sisters. Of course we should. But we need to be reminded of what the Church is for: not primarily for the satisfaction of its members but for the blessing of creation, of humanity. And that is costly. The resources for that calling come from within - our personal walk with God; not from without - the provision of church services to our liking. Yes, I know it's tough; and yes I know that Christians are sometimes their own (and God's?) worst enemy but by toughing it out together, we grow, mature and strengthen each other as we continue to serve God's purposes in the world.

John Eldredge has written, 'The coming of Jesus was...a dangerous mission, a great invasion, a daring raid into enemy territory'. It cost him his life, but in the course of his mission he triumphed over poverty, deprivations, threats, hostility, criticism, disease, demonic forces, and death itself. You see the same spirit in our Christian forebears from the apostles onwards, willing to lay down their lives for the truth they believed in  and the Lord they served. Because they knew that Jesus had done it all before them and they shared his mission to reconcile men and women to God. Somehow I can't see St Paul quitting because he did not feel blessed by his churches!

I guess we need to learn the discipline of struggle, and like Jacob, wrestle for the blessing (Genesis 32.22-32).